Genesis 1:26—“Let us make man in our image, after our likeness …”

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them (Gen. 1:26-27).

Differences between “image” and “likeness”:

“By the terms ‘image’ and ‘likeness’ scripture here refers fundamentally to the same truth. These two terms do not refer to two different parts of man, such as his visible form and his spiritual nature, but the term ‘likeness’ is a further definition of the term ‘image.’ God created man in his image in such a way that the image was also a likeness, so that man resembles God in a creaturely way.”

(Homer C. Hoeksema, “Unfolding Covenant History” vol. 1, [RFPA, 2000], chapter 4)

“Image and likeness are not identical terms which breathe redundancy into the inspired record. Likeness is a further definition of image, an expanding upon the meaning. Conceivably, one may have an image which is not a likeness, e.g. a picture of a loved one who is living elsewhere. That picture is the image of the person, but hardly the likeness. In another sense, it is possible to become acquainted with another person who may be the image of a loved one, so that he looks like him very much, but also acts very much like him: he may laugh the same way, have the same gentle nature, etc. Such a one would be both image and likeness.

Thus, when God created man, He made man in His likeness. By this, Scripture indicates that man possessed a nature that enabled him to enter into fellowship with God. God possesses a mind; God made man with a mind. This does not mean that man is divine: God’s mind is entirely divine; man’s mind is entirely human (of the dust). In a creaturely way, man was able to reflect God. He could think, he could express his desires, he could enjoy creation, he could enter into friendship and express his thoughts in speech.

In addition to this, God also made man in His own image. This applies not only to the general character of man’s nature, but specifically to the spiritual content of that nature.”

(Rev. J. Kortering, “The Standard Bearer,” vol. 49, no. 12 [March 15, 1973], p. 281)